A silver metal vial, looking very old fashioned, was all he carried. He drank from it sparingly, for it was all he had left, and he wasn't really looking forward to returning to the Aerie just yet. His steps carried him slowly down the streets, spare hand stuffed into the pocket of jeans. Black shirt and sneakers was all else he wore that evening, and he shuffled along as he had in every city prior to now, since his leaving England.
His mind was off somewhere, not anywhere near what it should be focused on as he walked, but his mind raced over all that had happened in the past few days, and on what he should do next. The discussion in the club, the discussion at that street side sandwich shop, and everything else about those two days. The brandy lost it's taste, the ale lost it's taste, every sort of liquor he would usually drown himself in had lost it's taste. When that vial was empty, it was stuffed back into the pocket of his jeans, as he heaved a heavy sigh. Not even the drink was drowning away his sorrows anymore.
Steps stopped as he stood at the corner of some intersection. he wasn't sure which. He merely stood there, and stared down at the blacktop, as the cars drove by, and people walked around him. It felt so metaphorical. There, he stood at an intersection, wondering which way he should go, while in his mind, a similar debate was had. Clouded, blood shot eyes were lifted up, and he'd glance at the street signs and people around him. Did any of them have an answer?
-- Edited by DANIEL BENNETT on Sunday 26th of June 2011 08:50:45 PM
Another day, another dollar. Or more like 75 cents. Ugh. Life of a high school student who had the glamorous job of working at... wait for it.... McDonalds! Yes, Andi's life was one of high finance and glory, spending the day in front of the deep fryer filling stupid cardboard containers with oil dripped potato slivers. It had been a long shift, one that made her want to scream because it seemed she was surrounded by glimmers. All.... Night.... Long.
They woudln't go away. It didn't matter that she ignored them, that she cursed at them, that she pleaded with them. They Wouldn't..... Go..... Away. It was worse. Worse then it had been in years and she was blaming Mr. Dresden. It was all his fault!
Petite little blond in her oh so attractive McDonald's uniform was busy stalking down the street. Just a tiny little thing.... muttering under her breath as she walked. Hands moving now and again in an aborted gesture as if shooing away bugs.... or something.
"DamnDamnDamn... go 'way." Muttered words, squinting now and again as her vision was obscured but something only she could see. It was in one of those obscured moments when she collided with someone that was simply standing on the corner.
"Hey!" She blinked, staggering back before looking up at the person she'd collided with. "Um.... sorry." Her hand lifted slightly before dropping again, forcing herself to ignore the damn glimmers of light.
He stared off, to the trees in the park, at the grass, and into the wind that blew about him. It was all a voice, and he listened. He was trained to listen years ago, and that was a habit he couldn't shake even if he tried. He listened and stared so intently, that his body stopped moving. Even the swagger of drunkness subsided as he focused. It was soothing, and calming, and it almost washed away his worries, but ... there was no answer given for what to do, so the questions remained unanswered, the worries remained in his mind, and in a moment, his mind would be jouseled from his focus.
His body would jerk to the side, towards the street a bit, but his feet would remain firmly on the ground, as if he were planted there. He hadn't remained focused for too long, had he? He'd look over at the girl, briefly, before realizing he hadn't moved much even though she walked right into him. He looked down at his feet, than picked up one foot at a time. Convinced that his feet had not sprouted tree roots, he took a calming breath of air, and turned to face the girl.
OK, so she bounced. He didn't seem like that big of a man but he barely moved and she... well, she richocheted of him like a ball hitting a bumper. His words, the crisp accent made her twitch, eyes widening before she reached out a hand to poke him, tensed as if ready to jump away. "Mr. Dresden?" Yes, it was silly, stupid even, couldn't possibly be but then again, she hadn't trusted reality in... well, ever.
She shook her head, flush rising in her cheeks after she poken too solid flesh, lacing her hands in front of her to stop any further fidgeting. "Um... sorry. I... I didn't see... " her eyes slid to one side as if tracking something with her gaze before snapping back to him. "I didn't see you. Yeah." She started to sidle around him, intending to continue on her way.
"Dresden?" He inquired, his head tilting and his eye brow quirked. "'ho te 'ell is Dresden?" He'd ask, before watching her odd behaviour. He wasn't used to being poked, and he'd glance down at where she poked him. He would in turn poke himself in the same spot before turning his gaze back to her
"Neva seen a bloke before?"
Of course, she had to have, after all, who could go their life without seeing one. But then, she had to say it. She didn't see him? How did she not see him. He ran this over and over in his mind. Had he become so still that he appeared as one with nature, and vanished in the wind? Was this some new ability of his? He would have to practice this in the future and see if it were true. As he debated this, he glanced upward a bit, and went completly still once more.
She flinched when he parroted the name back at her. "Um... no one. Just... I had a .. a.... I mean you sounded like... nevermind." Her hands wrung together a moment frowning at his question. "Seen a bloke? Huh? Oh, a guy. Of course I've seen a guy. I'm not that... I mean.... I wasn't looking where I was going and so I didn't see you standing there... like a... a.... tree.... or something." Her words trailed off, staring at him a moment as the glimmers seemed to coalesce around him, silhouetteing the shape of a tree, as if following her words. She blinked, shaking her head, shaking off the image.
"Look... I... I'm sorry ran into you. I just... I should go."
Her choice of words, her expression was a little too close to home. It made him wonder if she knew something about him, and if she were playing the oblivious child act as a means of cover. His head would sharply cut back to look at her, once more fixing into a completly still position.
"A tree, ye say!?" He said this curtly, as he stared her down, his eyes focusing on her own as he looked her over. It was habit now, and those eyes would trail up and down her form, taking his time in going over all her curves. Her state of dress was paid no attention, for who was he to judge what job someone held with the economy in the state it was. She was probably making more money than he was. Wait... he didn't have a job at all. She was definitely making more than him. He shook his head of that thought, and fixated on her eyes once more.
"Y-yeah... a tree..." her hands gestured, trembling slightly as they followed the silhouette around him, trunk, branches... then she caught herself and she pulled them down again, squeezing her eyes closed and taking a quick breath to settle herself. She was too tired, it was hard not to see things that weren't there.
"you were standing like... like you were rooted or something. I mean you're not that big a dude and I know I'm small but I just.... bounced. So... a tree. You know?" The words came out in a spew of words, not quite running them over each other, but close. She squirmed as his eyes raked over her, blush flaring in her cheeks. "Um... you're like.... not a dirty old man or something... are you?"
His head tilted, and he folded one arm over his chest, as he proped his other arm up, elbow to his wrist, and hand scratching at his beard. He gave it all a thought. He did have to check himself, to make sure he wasn't rooted, but why did she still come to that same conclusion.
"So, ye bounce off trees?" he inquired, interested in that one remark seemingly more so than the rest of what she said. The blush on her cheeks had him grinning almost mischievously, then her last words had his hand drop, and his mouth open.
"Wot!? Old!?" Wait, did he not even refute the dirty part?
"Sometimes... doesn't everyone?" OK, on a good day she'd been called a 'dreamer' always 'with her head in the clouds'. On bad days, well.... there was talks of therapy and possibilities of hallucinations. So... yeah, she'd had a history of walking into things. Go figure.
She couldn't help it, her lips twitching into a faint smile, "Yeah.... old. Compared to me. I mean, seriously, you don't chase high school girls right?"
He would let his arms settle to his sides now, chuckling a bit as he shook his head. She sure couldn't take a joke, could she. Though, the bit about actually bouncing off of trees was a bit ... odd. Maybe the trees in her neighborhood were made of rubber? He'd have to check that out.
"Now, oi don' go chasin' afta any girls. T'e girls come afta moi." It was partly true, and partly untrue. It depended on the girl, and how drunk she was. He didn't get drunk. Nevertheless, he said this with a devilish grin.
He reached into his pocket to get that flask and take a drink. Yet, it was already emptied, and once he screwed it open, he frowned. He'd close it shut and stuff it back into his pocket with a grummble.
"So, missy ... w'ere ya 'eaded?"
-- Edited by DANIEL BENNETT on Sunday 26th of June 2011 10:40:46 PM
OK, so when he grinned she totally bought the whole thing about girls chasing him. Wow. That was so not right. And it made the warmth in her cheeks heat up again. She watched him as he tugged loose the flask from his pocket, brows lifting a bit. "eaded? Oh... Headed I was heading home.... after work." She made a disgruntled face, tugging at her McDonald's shirt. "I stink of french fries and Big Mac and just was going home." She shrugged, gesturing down the street the direction she'd been heading before running into him. "Oh... um.... I'm Andi. You're not from Nawlins' are you?" Yes, she had a bit of a southern twang.
He examined her state of dress finally, noting the markings, as he nodded. However, his brows would knit as he frowned.
"Oy.... ye makin' fun o' t'e way oi talk?" He said softly, jabbing a finger out at her. His finger poked repeatedly above her chest as he said this, before he leaned back, straightened up, and folded his arms over his chest.
"Oim not from Nawlins, as ye put it. Oim from England."
"Moi? Make fun of the way someone speaks? Never!" She batted at his poking finger, allowing a little giggle to escape her. This was silly, having a conversation like this with a complete stranger and not just having the conversation but enjoying the conversation. Then again... maybe he wasn't real. There had been all those glimmers around him after all. Her amusement fled her features, even taking a step back from him as she looked around unsurely. Did anyone else see him? Oh god, don't let her be talking, laughing, with no one there, with all these people on the street seeing it.
The conversation was a rare occurance for him as well, for he usually didn't let himself get into a conversation, and kept his moods to himself, and didn't confide in anyone. He hadn't confided in her at all, but he was definitely speaking more than he usually would. He was someone that confided in his drink, and kept to brooding over his troubles. After a moment in these thoughts about why he was talking, to a young girl, he noticed her recoil. He tilted his head as she backed up again. He rose a brow, and looked over his shoulder. Nope, nothing there.
"Wot's wrong?" He asked curiously, as he unfolded his arms. "Are ye scared o' trees now?" Somewhere in the midst of their conversation, he had accepted the reference to him as a tree.
Her eyes widened a bit at his words, taking another step back, "I'm not scared of trees... I mean you're not a tree... right?" The glimmers were back, brightening, blurring as they hazed together, she could feel the tug, the sensations that Mr. Dresden was trying to teach her to recognize. "no... nonono... not now." the denials muttered as her hands knotted into fists. Her eyes closed tightly, refusing to look, to see what was forming.
He shook his head with a chuckle. Motioning with his hands, he sighed at her lack of recognizing that he was merely playing with her.
"Oim not a tree. I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues." He smirked lightly at his own reference, but alas, it would seem he would not have the time to relish in the reference, as she fisted her hands and seemingly ready to beat at her own head.
"Oy now, no need ta 'urt yeself." He'd step forward, closer to her, reaching out to her hands, to grasp at her wrists and trying to get her to stop.
"Relax missy, it was a joke..." His hands would move to her shoulders, as he bent his knees to get to an eye-to-eye level view with her.
-- Edited by DANIEL BENNETT on Monday 27th of June 2011 10:28:41 PM
Speak for the trees? Speak for the trees?... why was that familiar? She didn't want to look, to see the glimemrs of brown and green to see if he'd fade away or just disappear the way Mr. Dresden did. To see him just slip away as if lost in the crowd so she really didn't know if he was real or not.
She flinched when his hands curled around her wrists and then stilled. He was touching her. None of them ever touched her. She couldn't be sure sometimes when she touched... if what she touched was real but he was touching her. Her eyes opened slowly, peeking at him. "You're real?" It was little more then a whisper. She was never sure these days and when she was tired it just got worse.
Her eyes met his as he crouched a bit, "the Lorax... Dr. Seuss." OK... so yeah, her brain connected to the quote. He had to be real, hallucianations didn't quote from Dr. Seuss... right?
She flinched when his hands took hold of her wrists, which brought her back to reality. However, she questioned if he was real. Was he real? Of course he was. How could he be a tree and fake at the same time.
"Wots all t'is now? Real? D'you think oim some sort o' fake tree? Wot is a fake tree?"
He let go of her, and straightened up again, tapping at his chin as he tried to picture a fake tree. One of those plastic pines used for christmas, that reflected the color of the lights wrapped around them making them look like aluminum foil. He shook his head in disgust at that image in his head, and looked back to Andi.
"Aye, missy. Docta Suess. T'at wot oi was quotin'."
OK, he had to be real because hallucinations insisted that they were real, they didn't ask if they were or not. Yes, it made sense in her head.
"You've never seen a fake tree? I mean... they're all over the place at Christmas." Her words were hesistant, there was still that little bit of doubt that he was real or not. "I like real trees better though, though I hate that you have to cut them down. I don't like watching them die. It takes a while for a tree to realize its dead, when there's no shine left."
He shuddered at the thought. "T'ose bloody plastic trees aren't trees. Soddin' t'ings."
Christmas was his least favorite of the holidays. It was a bastardization, and an insult to trees everywhere. Such cruelty to the trees, dressing them up in what was deemed colorful and beautiful. Trees were beautiful on their own.
Her nose wrinkled at his words, shaking her head. "Don't say that. If you say that then... well, trees are just.. trees." She didn't want to think they could be more because if they could be more she'd start to see them being more and if she saw them being more well that would just be another hallucination.... wouldn't it? The last thing she'd need would be to see trees like... reaching out to grab someone. Especially since she exploded that tree the other night. Her eyes widened a bit at the memory, oh god, she exploded a tree without even thinking about it now the trees might... no of course they wouldn't because if they did then there'd be reports of people being attacked by tress right? What was she thinking?!?
Yes, her mind just.... went off sometimes. Derailing into strange pathways now and then. She fought to root herself in reality. "So.. um... what are you doing in Nawlins?" An almost frantic attempt at normal small talk.
Did she think that Lord of the Rings was make believe? Did she think that Ents did not exist? Oh yes, Ents existed alright, but they were not a very hostile group, despite all the disrespect the human race gave them. He decided to test her, suddenly, since she knew her Dr. Seuss, but then again, that was not much of a test to begin with. He'd straighten up, and tilt his head as he looked down to her, folding his arms once more
"When Spring unfolds the beechen leaf, and sap is in the bough; When light is on the wild-wood stream, and wind is on the brow; When stride is long, and breath is deep, and keen on the mountain-air, Come back to me! come back to me, and say my land is fair!"
Once uttered, he would look upon her, and wait to see her response. Chances are, she wouldn't know the reference, after all she was still a child, and was probably unfamiliar with more refined literature. Even if it was still fantasy.
